Air flow is routed using tubular duct assemblies. The duet assemblies must be structurally robust to withstand the temperatures, vibrations, and fluid flow pressures to which they can be expected to encounter. In a typical automotive application, a duct assembly should tolerate sustained, continuous temperatures of 250° F. and higher and pressures of 30 pounds per square inch or more.
In the past, such duct assemblies have been constructed with a steel tube body with silicone and rubber end connectors, in order to withstand these pressures and temperatures. Typically for a conventional duct assembly, the end connectors are assembled with four band clamps and two hoses. These hose-and-clamp end connections prevent the pressurized fluid in the duct from bleeding out of the assembly along leak paths.
It has been proposed to form a duct assembly with a thermoplastic tube body and metal wire circumferential connections. For details, refer to patent publication no, US 2006/0022460 (publication of application Ser. No. 10/902,685, filed Jul. 29, 2004).
While previous duct assembly designs have been satisfactory, there remains room in the art for improvement. Reduction of weight and cost without loss of function is important to the advancement of automotive technology. Additionally, decreasing packaging, complexity and cost without sacrificing performance would also be desirable. Furthermore, functionality could be improved if the number of potential leak paths in the duct work can be reduced.